Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for the see-through computer display systems with a wide field of view.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A head mounted display providing a wide display field of view and a high transmission see-through view of the surrounding environment with improved visual uniformity of a displayed image to a user comprising: a. upper optics with a first optical axis including: i. an emissive image source that provides image light; ii. one or more lenses; and b. non-polarized lower optics with a second optical axis including: i. a planar partially reflective beam splitter angled relative to the first and second optical axes; and ii. a curved partially reflective mirror; and wherein at least one of the partially reflective surfaces includes a notch mirror treatment.
A see-through head-mounted display (HMD) provides a wide field of view of a computer-generated image overlaid on the real world, while also allowing the user to clearly see their surroundings. The display uses upper optics (including an emissive image source and lenses) and non-polarized lower optics. The lower optics include a flat, partially reflective beam splitter and a curved, partially reflective mirror. Critically, at least one of the partially reflective surfaces has a "notch mirror treatment," which likely involves a specialized coating or film designed to reflect certain colors or polarizations of light. This arrangement improves visual uniformity for the user.
2. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the upper optics provide telecentric light to the lower optics to improve uniformity in the displayed image by reducing the angular extent of a light associated with the displayed image incident onto a surface that includes a notch mirror treatment.
To improve the uniformity of the displayed image in the see-through head-mounted display described previously, the upper optics send "telecentric light" to the lower optics. Telecentric light reduces the angles at which light from the displayed image hits the surface treated with the notch mirror. This angle reduction improves uniformity and avoids undesirable color shifts.
3. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the displayed image is digitally modified to radially increase the digital brightness in the displayed image to compensate for radial brightness rolloff from the notch mirror treatment.
In the see-through head-mounted display described previously, the displayed image is digitally modified to compensate for any brightness falloff caused by the notch mirror treatment. The digital modification increases the brightness of the displayed image radially, counteracting the notch mirror's uneven reflection. This makes the displayed image appear more uniform to the user.
4. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the displayed image is digitally modified to radially increase the color rendering in the displayed image to compensate for angularly based color changes from the notch mirror treatment.
In the see-through head-mounted display described previously, the displayed image is digitally modified to compensate for any color changes caused by the notch mirror treatment. Because the notch mirror treatment may affect different colors differently depending on the angle of incidence, this digital modification increases the color rendering of the displayed image radially.
5. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the notch mirror treatment reflects narrow bands of red, green and blue light.
In the see-through head-mounted display described previously, the notch mirror treatment reflects narrow bands of red, green, and blue light. This means the treatment is specifically designed to reflect the primary colors used by the emissive image source to create the displayed image. By reflecting these colors, the display can efficiently combine the computer-generated image with the user's view of the real world.
6. The head mounted display of claim 5 wherein the narrow bands of red, green and blue light are matched to the bands of colored light output by the emissive display.
Building on the previous description, the narrow bands of red, green, and blue light reflected by the notch mirror treatment are specifically matched to the colors produced by the emissive display in the see-through head-mounted display. This ensures that the notch mirror treatment reflects the exact colors being generated by the image source.
7. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the notch mirror treatment has a higher reflectivity for an S polarized incident light.
In the see-through head-mounted display described previously, the notch mirror treatment has a higher reflectivity for S-polarized incident light. This implies that the notch mirror is designed to reflect one polarization of light more strongly than the other, potentially influencing the brightness or contrast of the displayed image.
8. the head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the notch mirror treatment has a reflectivity that is insensitive to the polarization of an incident light.
In the see-through head-mounted display described previously, the notch mirror treatment is designed to reflect light regardless of its polarization. In other words, the reflectivity of the notch mirror treatment is the same for all polarizations of light, ensuring that the brightness and color of the displayed image are not affected by polarization.
9. The head mounted display of claim 1 further comprising multiple optical elements and wherein the distance between adjacent optical elements can be adjusted to change the focus distance of the displayed image.
The see-through head-mounted display described previously further includes multiple optical elements, where the distance between these elements can be adjusted to change the focus distance of the displayed image. This enables the user to focus on objects at different distances, either in the real world or within the computer-generated image, improving the viewing experience.
10. The head mounted display of claim 9 wherein a sensor is provided to measure the distance between the adjacent optical elements as the focus distance is adjusted.
In the see-through head-mounted display with adjustable focus described previously, a sensor is used to measure the distance between the optical elements as the focus distance is adjusted. This sensor provides feedback on the current focus setting, allowing the system to accurately track the user's focus point.
11. The head mounted display of claim 10 wherein the displayed image is digitally modified before being displayed to compensate for changes in size of the displayed image associated with the change in focus distance.
In the see-through head-mounted display with adjustable focus and distance sensor described previously, the displayed image is digitally modified before display to compensate for changes in the size of the displayed image associated with the change in focus distance. This ensures that the image remains sharp and appropriately sized as the user adjusts the focus.
12. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the notch mirror treatment is a coating.
In the see-through head-mounted display described previously, the notch mirror treatment is implemented as a coating. This coating is applied to one or more of the reflective surfaces to achieve the desired selective reflection properties.
13. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the notch mirror treatment is a film.
In the see-through head-mounted display described previously, the notch mirror treatment is implemented as a film. This film is applied to one or more of the reflective surfaces to achieve the desired selective reflection properties.
14. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the notch mirror treatment is a phase matched nano-structure.
In the see-through head-mounted display described previously, the notch mirror treatment is implemented as a phase-matched nano-structure. This means the treatment utilizes tiny structures engineered at the nanoscale to achieve the desired light reflection properties through precise control of light interference.
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August 25, 2015
June 20, 2017
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